IF you have ever been on the Haunted Mansion ride and sailed through seance room, then you know who Madame Leota is! She is the one in the crystal ball summoning the spirits, wherever they dwell to give us a sign by ringing a bell. But who is she really? Well in real life Madame Leotas name really is Leota, Leota Toombs and she was a very important person in the Disney company that contributed to some of our all time favorites. Since this is the first blog in October, I thought we should have a bit of a spooky vibe! Let’s dive in and meet this amazing lady!
Meet Madame Leota
Leota Toombs was born Leota Wharton on August 9, 1925 in Glendale, CA. She met and married her husband, Harvey Toombs while working for Disney Animation. They had two children, Laurie and Kim. Kim actually went on to work for Disney as well and still is today! Leota Toombs was posthumously inducted as a Disney Legend in 2009, very deservedly!
Her Career
Leota started in the Ink and Paint department in 1940. There were not very many women in the animation business at the time but Disney had an entire Ink and Paint department full of talented women! She would later transfer to the animation department and this is where she met her husband. Leota would leave Disney and her career to raise their two children but would eventually come back in 1962, when she joined WED Enterprises or what we know today as Walt Disney Imagineering. She was one of the company’s very first female imagineers!
What Did She Work On?
On top of the countless animated projects she would have worked on in Ink and Paint and Animation, she did some pretty incredible work on attractions we all know and love while working in Imagineering! She was a part of the team that created several of the original attractions for Disneyland. She worked on It’s A Small World and Great Moments With Mr Lincoln for the 1964 World’s Fair, which we are still enjoying today. After the World’s Fair concluded she worked on Pirates Of The Caribbean, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree!
What Is She Most Famous For?
Of course what we all know and love her for is bringing Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion to life! Not only did she work on the creation of this attraction, she was also the facial model for the floating gypsy! She is actually Madame Leota in all iterations of the Haunted Mansion across the Disney Parks. She is also the voice AND face of “Little Leota” at the end of the ride telling you to “Hurry Back” and “Don’t Forget To Bring Your Death Certificate”. The team of Imagineers working on this attraction included Yale Gracey (Master Gracey) and Blaine Gibson who initially asked Leota to sit for the facial model and be there floating gypsy. Her daughter, Kim actually remembers when she came home with all the crazy makeup after filming the scene.
Leota Toombs would move to Orlando, FL in 1971 to be a part of the Imagineering team that maintained the shows and attractions in Walt Disney World. In 1979 she would move back to California where she trained artisans and figure-finishers. She passed away from cancer in 1991.
Fun Facts
With such an incredible career and being such a pioneer for women in this industry, she made a huge impact on her daughter Kims career. Kim would go on to also work in Disney Imagineering and is currently the art director at Disneyland! She has been credited with being the person most responsible for maintaining the look and feel of Disneyland. She led the team for the Galaxy’s Edge expansion. Kim started in the Imagineering Model Shop in 1970 being mentored by her mom and credits her for many Imagineers success because she was so good at passing along her knowledge and wisdom to the next generations.
When the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay goes into effect in Disneyland, guess who is in that crystal ball….Kim, Leota’s daughter! Her face matched up with the model perfectly, how cool is that! What a generational thing to pass down. If you have watched Muppet’s Haunted Mansion (if you haven’t, you should!) then you will see Leota’s daughter, Kim! She is the Ghost Host that comes to clean Madame Pigota’s (Miss Piggy) crystal ball! Just a fun Easter egg!
Conclusion
Needless to say, I am a huge Leota Toombs fan! I love that she did a little of everything within the company and that she was such a trailblazer for not only her daughter but so many others that came after her. She not only set the bar high but she also came back and taught others how to get there and even higher. To me that is the true mark of success, that your legacy goes on because you passed it all on. I know I’m not the only fan out there, Disney knows too, just looked at all the Madame Leota merchandise! I seriously want all of it! I hope you enjoyed this weeks somewhat spooky post to start October here on the blog, it was definitely a fun one for me to write. Next time you are in your Doom Buggy and see that crystal ball you will know all about the lady inside! Thanks for reading along and have a magical day!
